Carpet

Time to take a brave pill and start cutting the terrifyingly expensive carpet. Measure twice, cut once, and don’t fuck it up. Yeah, right.

So after making an accurate cardboard template, transferring it to the carpet, and cutting it out, Brian comes along and says “Isn’t the steering wheel on the other side?”

Swearing ensued. For future reference: when marking the back of your carpet, remember to turn your template upside down. Time to stop, lay out all the carpet and all the templates (now marked “UNDERSIDE” in big letters) and see if we can still make it work.

We can. Just. As long as I don’t fuck it up again.

Minisport in Australia have reproduced the early Cooper S/ Super Deluxe heel and toe pads, so a set was fitted. The reproductions are a poured urethane rather than rubber and needed a bit of cleanup on the back side, but should last longer than the originals.

These heel pads are a bit stiffer than the originals, so to make them sit flush I had to trim the carpet.

Yes, the toe pad does look a bit odd in that orientation, but it’s apparently correct- see the carpet details here at the 1959 Mini Register.

Underfelt will help keep the interior noise down and stabilise the carpet so it doesn’t move or ruck. Again, I’ve gone for overkill, but the closed cell foam strips should lock the carpet into place in the floor ridges.